August 30, 2018 Page 5
Wiseburn Board Hears District Demographic Presentation
By Duane Plank
Last Thursday evening, the assembled
members of the Wiseburn School Board
were privy to a 20-minute presentation
touting the analytic tools and experience
of DecisionInsite, a company that works
with school districts to “provide a unique
fusion of technology, analytics and expertise.”
Quick Protein Power Chiquita Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
Ingredients:
1 whole Chiquita Banana, sliced
1.5 ounces low-fat Greek yogurt
1/8 cup fresh pineapple juice
1/4 cup orange juice
Preparation
Recipe provided by BPT
Place all ingredients in a blender
and puree until smooth. Makes
one serving.
“Home-made
smoothies are
a great way of
satisfying a
sweet tooth.”
– Ella
Woodward
The goal is to help Wiseburn Unified
School District decision-makers effectively
make informed, data-driven recommendations
when dealing with enrollment issues
– which in turn greatly impact California
school district funding.
DecisionInsite Business Development
Representative Kelly Stevens made the
presentation. The Irvine-based company has
been working with school districts since
its inception in 2004, utilizing cloud-based
platform and pinpointed analytics to aid
districts as they master-plan for their future
wants and needs.
Stevens demonstrated the system
software capabilities for the Board members,
using the compiled data of one of the DecisionInsite
clients -- the La Habra Unified
School District. Stevens compared La Habra
to Wiseburn. She talked about the detailed
reports and data that her company, if selected
by the Board, can supply to help drill-down
future decisions and challenges that will
face the current as well as future members.
In wrapping up her presentation, Stevens
noted that if DecisionInsite is selected as
Wiseburn’s “demographer,” it would train
District IT professionals on implementing
the new system.
Board member questions included those
involving safety and security of the supplied
information. Stevens said that her company’s
site had never been hacked. “It’s our business,”
she said, “to make sure that we are safe.”
Prior to the meeting, new Wiseburn Superintendent
Dr. Blake Silvers said that the
District is looking to upgrade and repair current
facilities and bolster ongoing programs
at school sites. He spoke of the desire to
“involve the community” in creating the
District’s master plan, and that, hopefully, a
demographer will be involved in that plan’s
development.
The demographer, Silvers said, would help
forecast enrollment numbers in the upcoming
years, utilizing advanced metrics and analytics.
These forecasts would be very useful to
the District as decisions are made to evaluate
school sites, possibly change boundaries and
grade configurations, plan for staffing needs,
prepare budgets, and maximize facility utilization.
“We want the [master] plan,” Silvers
said, “to be a multi-year plan.
The Board members and administrators
then made their informational reports with all
embracing the new school year. Vice President/
Clerk Roger Banuelos spoke of positive
developments with the new Da Vinci High
meal program -- implemented by Chartwells
-- for the first-time at the campuses, and
thanked all who have supported the program.”
President JoAnne Kaneda added that she was
“glad to be working with Blake,” and that
she was looking forward to the opening of
the aquatics center. Deputy Superintendent
Dr. Chris Jones mentioned attending a recent
active shooter training event involving Palos
Verdes’ school district, reiterated the support
and success of the new Da Vinci High meal
program, and gave an update on sports at the
Da Vinci schools, which held their first day
of classes on Aug. 12.
Of the partnership with food provider Chartwells,
which began in Wiseburn lower-level
schools three years ago, Jones emailed that
when the District first contracted with the
company, “there was a significant improvement
in food quality, and participation nearly
doubled. The students seem very happy!”
During his report, Director of Facilities
Planning Vince Madsen noted that remaining
Wiseburn High site “construction is moving
along, [though] we are still having some
challenges.” One challenge is figuring cut
whether the new soccer field surface will
consist of synthetic turf or grass. Madsen
and his team are facing challenges with the
dirt base of the field.
Madsen added that Sept. 29 will be the
aquatics center ribbon-cutting, with the official
grand opening still to be decided. He
spoke about Phase II change orders that
were brought to the Board for approval and
mentioned long-term facility planning. He
said work is ongoing on the gymnasium
construction, with a firm opening date not
specified at this time. He also talked about
the progress being made on clearing the staging
area that is the soon-to-be soccer field.
Silvers then made his report, talking about
a District “fire issue” that had taken place
earlier in the day and was successfully
dealt with in a timely manner. He talked
of attending a recent Wiseburn Educational
Foundation (WEF) meeting, and how that
group’s support was much appreciated. New
teachers started work on Aug. 15, he noted.
Silvers also spoke of the new teachers’
enthusiasm and “engagement.” He lauded
the administrators and teachers who worked
hard over the summer, utilizing professional
opportunities made available since the final
school bell chimed back in June.
Monday, Aug. 27 was a professional development
day for District teachers, with 12
new instructors and elementary and middle
school students returning to the classroom the
following day. “We are excited,” Silvers said,
“about the new additions to our team.” On
Wednesday, Silvers and his team put together
a barbecue for the staff, and he gave his
initial “State of the District” address at Dana
Middle School -- where he announced the
selections of teacher and classified employee
of the last school year.
Silvers called this “a real optimistic time”
for Wiseburn. “It has been amazing to watch
the teachers work in their professional development
sessions,” he said. He labeled
it “a blessing” to work with “teachers so
committed to their craft.”
Next on the Thursday evening agenda
were the action items, which included facilities
updates as the work continues on
Phase II of the new Wiseburn High project.
Silvers said things continue to move along
as construction continues on the aquatics
center, gymnasium and soccer field. “We are
still looking good,” Silvers said, alluding to
the work on the northwest quadrant of the
Douglas Street facility. “It’s looking nice
over there…very clean.”
One of the fiscal action items passed by
the Board included funding and a continuing
partnership with WEF, which, Silvers noted,
provided the District with more than $170,000
during the past school year. The STEM and
Arts programs especially benefited. “It’s a
wonderful partnership,” Silvers said.
Silvers added that the WEF, currently
helmed by Executive Director Carolyn Niman
and President Debbie Felt, has a “very savvy
and committed board,” calling the members
“really good people who engage in our community
in a positive way. Just a blessing.”
The next regularly scheduled meeting of
the Wiseburn School Board is slated to commence
at 7 p.m. on Thursday evening, Sept.
13, and will take place on the first floor of
the new Wiseburn High School. •